Fandom

SF Fandom, the body of people who are active in promoting, consuming and producing the genre in it's various forms has a number of organisations that represent it:

Local SF Groups

The local SF groups have, debateably, the largest congregation as they meet on a regular basis and cover such a large geographical area. St.Albans is only one of many groups, Peterborough, Leeds and Birmingham are all so afflicted.

Academic Groups

Student Groups are better funded but more transient, existing at many academic institutions around the country, they introduce a huge number of people to fandom and can be very active ... on occasions.

National SF Groups

While the local SF groups are making gains across the country national SF groups should be promoting and backing them. The British SF Association (BSFA) has for a long time been more of a large regional group based around London. More recently they have moved strongly towards supporting the local groups, making contacts and getting representitives to events. The BSFA main form of contact with members is through a suit of well written magazines which are well worth joining for.

Membership Secretary: Alison Cook, 52 Woodhill Drive, Grove, Nr. Wantage, Oxon OX12 0DF

The British Fantasy Society (BFS) concentrates mainly on the horror genre and have a good profile in the publishing world.

The BFS Secretary (F), c/o 2 Harwood Street, Stockport SK4 1JJ

Media Groups

Any minority aspect of the genre seems to have it's afficianados. TV series, comic SF, japanese manga, Gerry Anderson all have fan groups associated with them.

ZZ9 plural Z alpha, the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy fan club seem to have held meetings everywhere and anywhere. They are the one group that knows how to have a good time.
Six of One are the Prisoner fan club. Their members are quiet, mysterious and have a panchant for blazers.
Octarine were the Discworld fan club but have widened their scope to all comic SF.

Conventions (Cons)

Conventions, held mostly in hotels although occasionally in college buildings or boats, are great places to meet fans from all over the country. Accomodation isn't cheap although any student will be able to explain how to attend a convention and not spend a mint. They have events that will overwhelm even the most overactive SF fan, panels, masquerade, talks by authors and artists. The frantic activity apart most people are happy to sit around with a drink and meet new people. There are lists of conventions all over the net. Ansible, Dave Langford's fanzine is perhaps the most regularly updated.

Polaris, Us, Them